Three months after a devastating fire at the Mahdia Secondary School dormitory claimed the lives of 20 children, a Commission of Inquiry to examine the issues related to the deadly fire, has been established.

Retired Military Chief of Staff, Major General Joe Singh will serve as the Chairman of the Commission. He will be assisted by the Chairman of the National Toshaos Council Derick John and Head of the University of Guyana Law Department, Attorney Kim Kyte-Thomas

In the presence of President Irfaan Ali and Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, the three Commissioners took their Oath of Office before Acting Chief Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Office of the President this morning.

Mr. Javed Shaddick was also appointed the Secretary of the Commission.

President Ali told the Commissioners that the COI represents a crucial step towards understanding the circumstances that led to the deadly inferno, and also paving the way for healing.

He explained that the Terms of Reference (ToR) that will guide the work of the Commission were crafted with the intent of granting the latitude for a comprehensive examination of all pertinent aspects surrounding the tragic incident.

“The terms of reference bestowed upon this Commission of Inquiry have been crafted with the intent of granting the latitude for a comprehensive examination of all pertinent aspects surrounding the tragic incident. The terms of reference enable a thorough exploration of the root causes that precipitated the unfortunate events, the adequacy and effectiveness of responses from relevant entities and the consequential issue of accountability,” the Head of State explained.

President Ali said as part of their investigation, the Commission will visit the scene of the fire. It is his expectation that no stone will be left unturned in ensuring an unbiased, in-depth and impartial assessment of the tragedy.  

“I am very sure that they will have to spend a lot of time in the community, and for a matter of fact, they were just telling me that one of the first things that they want to do is to have a traditional Patamona Service at the site itself for the work of the commission but also for the families,” he said.

The Government recently reached a financial settlement with the families of the children who died and those who survived the fire.

Asked whether the $5M settlement might infringe on the work of the Commission, the President said it was the responsibility of his Government to respond to the needs of those who have been affected by the tragedy.

“Those are two very different issues; I don’t know how the support that the families received will trespass on the work of the Commission. Let me be very clear, everything that we did in this tragedy was done with full consultation with the families because we respect these families, we respect what they went through and what they are going through. That is why we have made it a point to be in constant contact and consultation with the families,” the President told reporters.

The Commission is expected to conclude its work within two months, and offer recommendations and observations.

The deadly fire has been classified by the authorities as an act of arson, and the matter is currently before the Courts with a 15 year-old girl facing 20 murder charges.

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